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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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CAB39
calcium binding protein 39
Chromosome 2 · 2q37.1
NCBI Gene: 51719Ensembl: ENSG00000135932.13HGNC: HGNC:20292UniProt: Q9Y376
73PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingprotein kinase activator activitysignaling adaptor activityserine/threonine protein kinase complexneurodegenerative diseaseentropionneuroendocrine neoplasmectropion
✦AI Summary

CAB39 (calcium binding protein 39) is a scaffold protein that functions as a critical regulator of multiple signaling pathways. Structurally, CAB39 comprises seven helical repeats and acts as a component of kinase-activating complexes 1. Primary functionally, CAB39 stabilizes and activates the tumor suppressor kinase STK11/LKB1 and promotes activities of STE20-family kinases including SPAK and OSR1 2, with studies showing CAB39 can enhance SPAK activity up to 100-fold 2. Mechanistically, CAB39 operates through multiple pathways: the LKB1-AMPK-LC3 axis regulating mitochondrial autophagy 3, the AMPK-Nrf2 cascade for antioxidant responses 4, the NF-κB pathway promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition 5, and the WNK-SPAK-OSR1 axis controlling renal ion transport 2. CAB39 expression is negatively regulated by miR-107, miR-451, and miR-451a across multiple cancer types 4, 6, 7, 8. Disease relevance: CAB39 is overexpressed in bladder, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers, correlating with poor prognosis 5, 7. Notably, elevated CAB39 promotes cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer through enhanced autophagy 3 and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer via the AMPK-mTOR pathway 6. Clinically, CAB39 represents a promising therapeutic target. Autophagy inhibitors combined with chemotherapy significantly enhanced tumor killing 3, and small-molecule CAB39 inhibitors show therapeutic potential for managing hypertension and chemoresistance 2.

Sources cited
1
Structurally, CAB39 comprises seven helical repeats and acts as a component of kinase-activating complexes .
PMID: 23989145
2
Primary functionally, CAB39 stabilizes and activates the tumor suppressor kinase STK11/LKB1 and promotes activities of STE20-family kinases including SPAK and OSR1 , with studies showing CAB39 can enhance SPAK activity up to 100-fold .
PMID: 40357626
3
Mechanistically, CAB39 operates through multiple pathways: the LKB1-AMPK-LC3 axis regulating mitochondrial autophagy , the AMPK-Nrf2 cascade for antioxidant responses , the NF-κB pathway promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition , and the WNK-SPAK-OSR1 axis controlling renal ion transport .
PMID: 37726090
4
Mechanistically, CAB39 operates through multiple pathways: the LKB1-AMPK-LC3 axis regulating mitochondrial autophagy , the AMPK-Nrf2 cascade for antioxidant responses , the NF-κB pathway promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition , and the WNK-SPAK-OSR1 axis controlling renal ion transport .
PMID: 32527986
5
Mechanistically, CAB39 operates through multiple pathways: the LKB1-AMPK-LC3 axis regulating mitochondrial autophagy , the AMPK-Nrf2 cascade for antioxidant responses , the NF-κB pathway promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition , and the WNK-SPAK-OSR1 axis controlling renal ion transport .
PMID: 39171884
6
CAB39 expression is negatively regulated by miR-107, miR-451, and miR-451a across multiple cancer types , , , .
PMID: 31919406
7
CAB39 expression is negatively regulated by miR-107, miR-451, and miR-451a across multiple cancer types , , , .
PMID: 28197410
8
CAB39 expression is negatively regulated by miR-107, miR-451, and miR-451a across multiple cancer types , , , .
PMID: 38649419
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.50Moderate
entropionOpen Targets
0.30Weak
neuroendocrine neoplasmOpen Targets
0.30Weak
ectropionOpen Targets
0.29Weak
disturbances of sensation of smell and tasteOpen Targets
0.28Weak
keratitisOpen Targets
0.20Weak
Joint stiffnessOpen Targets
0.19Weak
CachexiaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
gastric carcinomaOpen Targets
0.15Weak
pericarditisOpen Targets
0.13Weak
pneumococcal pneumoniaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
nasopharyngeal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
neural tube defects, folate-sensitiveOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Isolated anencephaly/exencephalyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
AcheiropodiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Acromesomelic dysplasia, Grebe typeOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
neutropenia, severe congenital, 2, autosomal dominantOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
X-linked severe congenital neutropeniaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
PRKAA1Protein interaction100%PRKAA2Protein interaction100%PRKAB1Protein interaction100%PRKAB2Protein interaction100%PRKAG1Protein interaction100%STK11Protein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Heart
84%
Lung
56%
Bone Marrow
38%
Ovary
31%
Liver
30%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
CAB39PRKAA1PRKAA2PRKAB1PRKAB2PRKAG1STK11
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB1UPK · 1.85 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.69LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.67Intermediate
Observed/Expected LoF0.33 [0.17–0.69]
RankingsWhere CAB39 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #6,449of 20,598
    Most Researched73
  • #5,242of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.69
Genes detectedCAB39
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
CAB39 promotes cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer via the LKB1-AMPK-LC3 pathway.
PMID: 37726090
Free Radic Biol Med · 2023
1.00
2
miR-107 inhibition upregulates CAB39 and activates AMPK-Nrf2 signaling to protect osteoblasts from dexamethasone-induced oxidative injury and cytotoxicity.
PMID: 32527986
Aging (Albany NY) · 2020
0.90
3
CAB39 modulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition through NF-κB signaling activation, enhancing invasion, and metastasis in bladder cancer.
PMID: 39171884
Environ Toxicol · 2024
0.80
4
Calcium-binding protein 39 in with-no-lysine kinase signaling and the modulation of renal tubular transport.
PMID: 40357626
Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens · 2025
0.70
5
MiR-107 confers chemoresistance to colorectal cancer by targeting calcium-binding protein 39.
PMID: 31919406
Br J Cancer · 2020
0.60